Combination bed and bath for invalids



(No Model.)

A. A. STOLL.

COMBINATION BED AND BATH FOR INVALIDS.

No. 568,811. Patented Oct. 6, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. STOLL, OF LOUISVILLE, KEN TUOKY.

C OMBINATION BED AND BATH FOR INVALIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,811, dated October 6, 1896.

Application filed June 22, 1896. erial No. 596,528. (No model.)

- useful Combination Bed and Bath for Invalids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved combination bed and bath for invalids, the object of my invention being to provide a de Vice whereby a patient reclining in bed sick with fever or other ailment can be immersed in cold or hot water, as desired, without removing the patient from the bed.

The most approved manner of treating fevers at present is that of dipping the body of the patient into a bath-tub set alongside of the bed. This treatment is advantageous in so far as it reduces the fever, but the sudden submersion is too great; moreover, the

. patient cannot in many cases endure the rough treatment necessary in lifting him up and placing him in the bath.

The object of my invention is to provide a device whereby the patient can be placed in the bath by a motion so slow as to be scarcely perceptible, and also so that the water can readily be brought to any desired temperature without giving a shock to the patient. I accomplish these results by means of an apparatus hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a perspective view of the whole device. Fig. 2 is a detailed front elevation of the gear for raising the end of the bed or bath, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

1 represents the four standards at the corners of the bed, the same being united by the side bars 2 and the end bars 3. In the hollow standards 1 are telescopically-arranged posts 4:, which may be secured at any height by set-screws 5, and which terminate at their upper ends in S-shaped hooks 6, the hooks being turned toward a line running from the head to the foot centrally of the bed. From each hook 6 at the head of the bed to the hook on the same side at the foot of the bed is laid a pole 7, said poles lying, therefore, over and parallel with the sidebars 2 of the bed.

8 is a rubber sheet which is slipped under the patient, the sides and head of the sheet and after the hooks have been fastened in the eyelets as aforesaid the sides of the sheet are brought up and the hooks are hooked over the poles '7, which run from the head to the foot, lying in the S-shaped hooks of the poles 4E.

Arranged on the side bars of the bed are frames 11, comprising two side bars 12 and a crossbar 13, and for raising or lowering either of the frames 11 I provide threaded rods 14, se cured to the side bars 12 and passing through threaded collars 15, pivotally supported on short hangers 16, depending from the side bars 2, which collars are adapted to be rotated by the bevel-gearing 17 and the bevelgearing 18 on the shaft 19, said shaft having a gear 20, which gears with a gear 21 upon the shaft 22, rotated by the crank 23. The collars 15 being prevented from moving vertically by the frame 24, the threaded rods 14 will necessarily be caused to ascend or descend by the rotation of the crank 23, thereby raising or lowering the corresponding frame 11. It will readily be seen that when either end is raised by means of the said gearing the rubber sheet at that end will also be raised, thus providing a greater depth of water at the other end of the bath. Thus if it is requiredto bathe the lower portions of the body the part of the sheet against which the upper part of the body rests can be raised by means of the gearing, and vice versa.

At the lower part of the sheet, near the foot of the bed, is provided afunnel-shaped opening 25, to which a suitable hose or tube can be attached, so that after the bath the water can be carried off and discharged at a distance in any convenient manner.

It will readily be seen that the device is of great value to the medical practitioner both in reducing fever by the use of cold water or ice and for immersing a patient in warm water in eruptive diseases in order to assist the disease in properly breaking out upon the surface of the body.

If the frames 11 are lowered, the device may be used as a bed merely, and in this case IOO being wound upon the roller can thus be stretched free from wrinkles.

liIavin g thus fully described my invent-ion, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a suitable frame, of side poles or bars supported thereby, a sheet of canvas or like material detaehably secured on said poles, cross or end bars movably supported 011 the frame beneath said sheet at the ends thereof, and means for raising said end bars, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a suitable frame, of side poles or bars supported thereby, a sheet of canvas or like material detachably secured on said side poles, cross or end bars movablysupported on the frame beneath said sheet at the ends thereof, and means for rais ing either end bar independently of the other, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a suitable frame, of side posts mounted therein, poles or bars removably supported by said posts lengthwise of the frame, a sheet of canvas or like material detaehably secured on said poles, cross or end bars movably mounted on the frame beneath said sheet at the ends thereof, and means for raising either end bar independently of the other substantially as described.

l. The combination, with a suitable frame, of side posts mounted therein, poles or bars removably supported by said posts lengthwise of the frame, a sheet of canvas or like material detachably secured on said poles, U shaped yokes pivotally mounted on the frames beneath said sheet at the end thereof and extending across the frame, and means for raising either yoke independently of the other, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with asuitable frame, of side posts supported thereby terminating inhooks attheir upper ends, poles laid lengthwise of the frame in said hooks, a sheet of canvas or like material provided at its sides with means for detachably securin g the same to said poles, end yokes having the side bars pivoted on the frame and the cross-bars extending across the frame beneath the sheet,

and means for elevating or lowering either end yoke independently of the other, substantially as described.

6. The combination, wit/ha suitable frame, of side posts vertically movable and adj ustable therein and terminating in hooks at their upper ends, poles laid. lengthwise of the frame in said hooks, a sheet of canvas or like material provided at its sides with eyelets, hooks engaging said eyelets and poles and supporting said sheet on said poles, end yokes vibrating from pivots on said frame beneath said sheet, and means for raising either end yoke independently of the other, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a suitable rectangular frame, as shown, of side posts vertically movable and adjustable therein and terminating in hooks at their upper ends, poles laid lengthwise of the frame in said hooks, a sheet of canvas or like material provided at its sides with means forv attaching the same to said poles, end yokes vibrating from pivots on said frame, a threaded rod pivotally attached to each yoke, and a threaded collar supported on the frame in which said rod works, and independent means for rotating each of said collars, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a rectangular frame, of side posts mounted therein terminatin g in hooks, side poles laid 011 said hooks longitudinally of the frame, a sheet of canvas or like material provided at its longitudinal edges with means for seeu ring it on said poles, end bars carrying said frame beneath said sheet at each end thereof, a threaded rod supporting each end bar, threaded collars mounted in the frame in which said rod works, and a crank and intermediate gear for rotating each of said collars, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in. the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. STOL'L. \Vitnesses:

WM. II. CRUTCHER, DAVID I. Hmsnnnne. 

